The East Village Magazine – February 2023
The latest edition of The East Village Magazine is available for download and viewing here: [pdfjs-viewer url="https://www.eastvillagemagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/EVM_Feb_2023.pdf" attachment_id="35150" viewer_width=100% viewer_height=800px fullscreen=true...
Education Beat: Threat at ALA prompts backpack review; parliamentary woes continue to plague Flint school board
“Sunlight or prison walls: I’m going to go with sunlight and having windows.” –Kelly Fields, principal, Accelerated Learning Academy, Jan. 18, 2023 “There was nothing that happened here (ALA) on campus … The campus has been safe and secure.” –Keiona Murphy, assistant...
African-American artwork celebrated in three galleries at FIA
By Tom Travis Three exhibits honoring and celebrating work by African-American artists will be featured at The Flint Institute of Arts (FIA) over the next few months. The FIA's Contemporary wing will exhibit works from the FIA's permanent collection of...
UM-Flint Chancellor gets 15% raise; dozens top $100K in diverse salary picture as Strategic Transformation decisions appear close
By Jan Worth-Nelson The University of Michigan - Flint's top executive, Chancellor Debasish Dutta, received a 15% pay raise for the 2022-23 fiscal year, bringing his yearly salary to $469,000, according to publicly available sources. On average, the rest of the Flint...
City of Flint allocates $15.6 million for Community Grants from ARPA funding; applications open now
By Tom Travis Editor's note: This article has been updated to include information about a webinar provided by the City of Flint on Feb. 2 for those wishing to apply for an ARPA Community Grant. The City of Flint has allocated $15.6 million of the city's American...
Dysfunction and Democracy from Flint to Washington. Is Flint a model for the nation?
By Paul Rozycki For much of the 20th Century Flint was a leader for much of what mattered in the nation. It was home for one of the largest manufacturing corporations in the world. It was the place where one of the most progressive and influential labor unions in the...
Education Beat: New leadership team for Flint Board of Education all first-timers
By Harold C. Ford “Sometimes you’ve got to pivot.” – Melody Relerford, newly-elected Flint Board of Education trustee, Jan. 11, 2023 A new leadership team was impaneled at the annual organizational meeting of the Flint Board of Education (FBOE) on Jan. 11, 2023. ...
Early cancer detection to save lives highlighted at MLK Jr. Day Berston celebration
By Tom Travis "Dr. King once said that injustice in health was the most inhuman form of inequality because it leads to death that could have been prevented. Earlier detection of cancer should be accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford to pay...
Michigan Speaker Rep. Joe Tate considers economic development with Flint business, housing leaders
By Tom Travis Housing was a key factor considered in an economic development round-table held Monday upstairs in Flint's Farmers Market. The meeting was organized by recently-elected State Representative Jasper Martus and his special guest the new Speaker of the House...
Mott Foundation grants $16.5 million to support a new YMCA and mixed-use space in downtown Flint
Construction is scheduled to begin in March on a mixed-use facility in downtown Flint that will feature a new home for the YMCA of Greater Flint and residential rental space. The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation granted $11 million to the YMCA and $5.5 million to the...
Flint residents can apply for WRAP water bill assistance Thursdays at City Hall
By Tom Travis The City of Flint is encouraging Flint residents to apply for the Water Residential Assistance Program (WRAP)—a two-year program that provides assistance to eligible, low-income households through water bill credits, arrearage assistance, and water...
UM – Flint “people’s” group critiques “top down” Strategic Transformation process and challenges “employers as customers” approach
By Jan Worth-Nelson University of Michigan - Flint assistant professor Kimberly Saks adamantly declares she is not "unAmerican." At a virtual community town hall last week sponsored by a loosely-organized group of faculty, staff, students and alumni who call...
East Village Magazine December 2022 – January 2023
The latest edition of The East Village Magazine is available for download and viewing here:z [pdfjs-viewer url="https://www.eastvillagemagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/EVM-Dec_Jan22-23.pdf" attachment_id="34023" viewer_width=100% viewer_height=800px...
“From Crisis to Recovery” and a call for unity, are the themes of Mayor Neeley’s State of the City address
By Paul Rozycki For the first time since the COVID pandemic Mayor Neeley gave his state of the city address to a live audience at the Capitol Theater. Because of the pandemic the previous two state of the city address were given virtually. He said “I’m excited to...
Flint’s “Gentle giant” – Commissioner Bryant “B.B” Nolden honored and remembered by Flint City Council
By Tom Travis As Flint reels from the sudden and untimely death of County Commissioner and Berston Field House Director Bryant "B.B." Nolden, the City Council honored his legacy through a resolution of condolence in Monday's meeting., Councilperson Jerri...
A new type of health care coming to Flint in January
By Tom Travis Harris Family Health, Flint’s first direct primary care clinic, is opening in downtown Flint in January, 2023. It is a membership-based primary care clinic started by Flint native, Dr Aisha [pronounced eh-sha] Harris MD, aimed at offering members more...
“Just wait and see”: UM-Flint Chancellor says campus “Strategic Transformation” will bring fiscal stability, vibrancy to Flint community
By Jan Worth-Nelson with Tom Travis The University of Michigan - Flint is "a beacon of hope" for the Flint community, UMF Chancellor Debasish Dutta declares, and he intends to keep it that way. "I am committed to doing everything I can do to make the UM - Flint...
Commentary: A tribute to “Master of the State Senate” Jim Ananich
By Michigan State Representative Jasper R. Martus “Thank God for Michigan,” President Lincoln proclaimed when troops arrived to join Union forces in the early stages of the Civil War. Pundits and politicians from across the country offered similar sentiments on Nov. 8...
Commentary: Looking back and looking ahead — Will 2022 set the stage for 2023?
By Paul Rozycki The combined December/January issue of the East Village Magazine marks the end of one year and the beginning of another, and gives us the opportunity to take a look back at what mattered in 2022 -- and to look forward to what might matter in 2023....
“We have to make the city of Flint a better place” Mayor Neeley calls for unity, strength and hope in second swearing-in ceremony
By Tom Travis Themes of love, unity, strength and hope flowed through the remarks at Mayor Sheldon Neeley's second swearing-in ceremony Monday with familiar faces of politicians, community leaders, city officials, activists and city residents. Longtime local news...
Kay Schwartz has retirement plans: time with grandchildren and time “to sit and read” in the library she transformed
By Tom Travis After 24 years at the Flint Public Library and playing a major role in its dramatic renovation, Kay Schwartz has plans for her retirement: spending time with her growing number of grandchildren and going to that library, as a patron this time, to simply...
Mott grants $10 million toward $26.4 million Berston Field House upgrades
By Harold C. Ford Editor's note - East Village Magazine (EVM) and the entire Flint community are deeply saddened at the untimely and sudden death of "BeBe" Bryant Nolden on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2022. EVM wishes to express care and condolences to Nolden's family and...
City Clerk candidates – Guillen and Donohue – to be interviewed Dec. 5
By Tom Travis Out of 24 applicants, two will be interviewed next Monday, Dec. 5, in an open public meeting, for the position of Flint City Clerk - Angela Guillen and Davina Donahue (currently serving as the Interim City Clerk). East Village Magazine (EVM) has reached...
Education Beat: New leadership team likely to take shape on Flint Ed Board following sweep of four incumbents
By Harold C. Ford “You don’t get to be disciplined; you get to be voted out.” –Karen Christian, president, United Teachers of Flint, admonishing the errant behaviors of Flint school board members, Sept. 21, 2022 And so, it came to be in the Nov. 8 general election...
The Who’s Tommy in Concert at The Capitol Theatre
By Patsy Isenberg "Explosive!" That's how the Flint Repertory Theatre's producing artistic director Michael Lluberes described the musical "The Who's Tommy," which played to an almost sold-out audience and nearly brought the house down at the Capital Theatre Nov. 18...
